My best friend can't be this cute
by ethereal collision
Summary: Denial automatically blocks an issue at hand, and Akiyama Mio wasn't particularly good at handling denial. - Belated Birthday Dedication for Ritsu. Laters gonna late. *shot*
1. What crush?

No, I haven't forgotten my Mugitsu—er, MugiRitsuMio fic. I just _had_ to dedicate something for Ricchan. :3 Late or not late. *shot*

I've been busy as hell lately, getting sick here and there to make it worse. While I was though, I drew something. QUALITY pic, cause my scanner's busted and my phone camera's crap. I have really rotten luck, ugh…

img522dotimageshackdotus/img522/4932/crapdrawingdotjpg

**Some notes: **Set in College. So yes, this is gonna be in JWU. 8D …the course program available for the Uni sucks balls though, so I'm not gonna use that as reference (meaning, I'll be tweaking it a bit XD). Gonna use both manga and anime material for the events (maybe except the shitcunt brother Satoshi). And…uhhh…I forgot, would probably go on with the rest by the end. XD …oh, italics are for flashbacks, thoughts and emphasis, bold + italic are for sung lyrics.

Disclaimer: Title is inspired from OreImo, as you might have guessed. And I don't own anything except…errr, the lolplot. Because you know, if I did own it, Mugi will have more screen time, and HTT will always have a daily yuri orgy in the club. …oh wait, I mean…

Enjoy.

* * *

**My best friend can't be this cute**

One week.

There was only a week left for Mio to be fully prepared with her new life in College. Of course, the harder parts of the predicament were already taken care of, as she already found herself a decent dormitory that was near the campus. Even if she was relatively 'near' the university from the comforts of her home, the sense of independence was strong enough to convince her and her parents to give it a chance. After all, Yui and the others followed this endearing idea (Mugi being the most enthusiastic).

Things such as payment and other commodities, she handled once they were dead set on the decision. So the only thing left to worry about was how _ready_ she was to go a step further in the adult ladder. First of all, whenever she was in a scramble, she would always, _always_ look for help in Ritsu of all people. She has to stop being so reliant, as the girl was rarely reliable anyway. Second, she was having a whole lot of trouble getting over her ridiculous (yes, even she agrees it is) phobias, which were more than she could even count. Lastly, in the span of months, she has grown a whopping three inches from an innocent milk diet that was devised solely for her weight woes. That alone would definitely make her stand out (quite literally as well), and her ever-teasing best friend will make a big deal out of it as always.

_Ugh…just imagining it makes me dizzy…_

But she shouldn't be so weak! The reason she was always drove to a corner by forehead chief and sometimes—the whole band—was because she was easily swayed by simple this and that. She should change that—no, she _has_ to! She has a whole damn week to be a new Mio to them! To the world!

_Especially to _that _Ritsu!_

With these thoughts in mind, Mio nodded to herself. She was the kind of person who was diligent enough to achieve anything she wanted, and she was going to prove that now. She'll be alpha as hell, even people like Ritsu will blush at her very presence! No more miss nice girl…

_Yeah!_

…_er, wait. Blush…?_

And thus, operation Atarashii Mio began…

.../../../...

As six days passed without much incident, Akiyama Mio shined in utter confidence. She hasn't met with her fellow band mates in days, but as she stepped into her nicely furnished dorm room, she knew they were going be up for a surprise. No more teasing, no more scaredy-cat. Her hazing-like days were over. She will be cool and undeterred; her new self will be an alluring enigma that will make one brunette drop her jaw completely down the floor.

…otherwise, those hard and grueling days of training and watching horror flicks would all be for naught…

"Hey, Mio-chan! You done packing?" The familiar voice of Hirasawa Yui greeted her.

"Yeah, have you found your room yet?"

"Yup. Right here."

Just to make sure she wasn't just hallucinating, she eyed the room.

There were two bunks of bed on top of each other.

"I want the top bunk." Yui announced excitedly.

"Huh…" Mio managed to blurt out.

"It's so nice to have you as a roommate, Mio-chan~."

Silenced, she ended up smiling wearily, not able to say another word.

"Ricchan and Mugi-chan called it a night and went on to sleep. We should be early for tomorrow, after all. "

Finding back her voice, an odd question came out. "…they're in a room together?"

"Hnn? Yeah." The guitarist answered absently as she tried opening a bag of potato chips whilst climbing the top bunk.

"…hey. You shouldn't be eating that over there. You'd make a mess."

"It's fine, it's fine~. I'll clean up afterwards."

"You better make sure you do."

"So strict, Mio-chan…"

"It's like you've never seen me with Ritsu…"

"Good point…" She chewed slowly. "You won't hit my head though, right?"

"…no." She answered quickly.

"Thank goodness. Ah but then again, that's how your intimacy goes, so it's supposed to be exclusive…"

Come to think of it, she has never really hit anyone besides the drummer…

But intimacy? Wherever did Yui pick up that nonsense?

"I miss Azu-nyan already…" She randomly muttered.

"Yeah…feels a bit incomplete without her around."

"Thinking about how I can't hug her very often makes me feel very lonely…"

"…are you sure you just like hugging her?" Mio asked crossing her arms. "That is some extreme thought right there…"

"Well, I really like her. If that's what you're wondering."

"Huh? !"

Of course there was still a possibility that she didn't mean it like _that._ This was Yui she was talking to, in the first place. But what were the odds to oppose this _very big_ possibility? Azusa wasn't of much help either, since she recently just let the girl do whatever she wanted with her. Did she miss all this? Her mind was very boggled now. And all this before the big day of her debut as 'Atarashii Mio'—now she was a bit worried at what kind of bomb Ritsu will throw at her come tomorrow. With Mugi teamed up with her, a gut feeling told her that she should steel her heart and reaction faces.

So wait, why was she fine with such revelation anyway? !

"Mio-chan?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I'm sleeping now. Good night~."

"O-oh…good night—hey wait. Clean your mess up first. "

"Aww…I thought the issue distracted you so much that you'd forget…"

_So that was all it was?_

Mio wasn't so sure now who's the bigger imp between her and Ritsu.

…

Her eyes opened automatically around daybreak, and along with the light snoring of Yui from above, her breathing slightly hitched, was she actually excited about this?

Leaving no room for a subconscious answer, she bolted right up and left the room to get ready.

Passing through the dimly lit hallway of the dormitory, she almost missed the door to Ritsu and Mugi's room. Not that she was looking for it or anything, but she at least wanted to know where to find them. Both are probably still sleeping soundly at this hour like Yui, but she knew one of them was an early riser just like her. They've been friends since forever for her not to take note of at least her sleeping habit. It was totally normal. And she was most definitely not trying to convince you readers about her odd fixation on minute details regarding her short haired childhood friend. Definitely not.

…a little peek wouldn't hurt, would it?

_It's probably locked anyway…_

The loose knob proved her wrong though; a small clink was all it took to move the wooden door.

_Who would leave this open? !_

As anyone in her situation would have been, curiosity totally took over her. She poked a head in to see what was inside, only to be greeted by…

"Wha…what…"

Of course they were there, both asleep unlike she expected. But somehow, there was something about their positions that didn't sit too well with her.

No one slept at the top bunk, and there were two girls meshed suggestively under it.

Ritsu was clumsily sprawled over a strangely ecstatic Tsumugi, who in turn had the smaller girl held like a hug-pillow—looking _painfully_ comfortable at that. The blonde's plump assets met squarely with the other girl's face like a pair of matching puzzles.

Just what the hell was she seeing? A multitude of unexplainable emotions surged within her, and anger was the dominating one amongst them.

Before she could act on it however, the auburn haired girl stirred, looking as if she was going to wake up any time soon.

With panic now overcoming her anger, she rushed to the slightly ajar door of the room, looking to escape from her apparent trespass.

"…Mio?"

Said girl froze in her place. _Crap, I'm caught._

Slowly turning her head to the source of the voice, a half-awake stranger greeted her vision.

_...tte, it's just Ritsu without the hairband! I should really get out of here…_

Using to her advantage the morning daze her friend was currently into, she made her way out of the room as stealthily as she can.

Once out, she deeply sighed in relief. That was too close for comfort!

"If I stayed there for another minute, I don't know what would have happened…" She quietly told herself.

Because surely enough, the earlier events would have given her the very tempting idea to plant a hostile bump on Ritsu's sorry head. She was so glad the fruits of her training were paying off. If it was her from last week, things would have gone messy. No innuendo.

Probably.

And anyway, just what the heck were they doing, being so close like that? ! Did they purposely choose to be roommates just for that kind of thing to happen in their sleep? Why didn't _they_ become roommates? Not that Yui was a bad roommate, but wasn't she the best friend? It boiled her blood seeing Ritsu being so comfortable being cradled in Mugi's arms like that. Was she into boobs? She has them too! Also, why does she sound like an overly jealous girlfriend? !

…

"…maybe because you are?" A groggy Yui mumbled after hearing her friend's tale.

"That's preposterous, Yui! Why would I be jealous over that, anyway! ? They're both girls!"

"So why are you waking me up so early again…?" It was like High School all over again. Mio-chan did something similar in the past. And again, it involved Ricchan.

"Th-that's…um…"

"You know, in love, I don't think gender matters, Mio-chan…"

"Love? ! What has love have to do with this? !"

The chocolate haired girl just shrugged and went back to sleep.

_I shouldn't have talked to Yui at all…_

.../../../...

"They're late…"

"Ricchan I can understand, but Mugi-chan being late is…"

"Like you're one to talk, Yui."

"Ehh, I'm here though…"

"That's because Ui-chan gave you a "Wake up" mail."

"Ehehehe, I'm so blessed…"

Yui and Mio stood just outside the Ryoo Dormitory, waiting for their other two companions to arrive. The events from earlier never brought up again.

"So Yui, have you decided on a major?" The long haired lady asked, making use of the time.

"I've been thinking about it. There's no choice for Musician, so I just chose Humanities."

_Of course there isn't. _"So you're planning to be a Kindergarten teacher after all?"

"And a rock star after school!" She said while giving a peace sign. "How about you, Mio-chan?"

"Oh, I've always wanted to write, so I think Japanese Literature would be nice."

"It sounds perfect for you!" Another voice chimed in.

"Oh, Mugi-chan! You're here!" Yui waved widly.

"I apologize for being so late, it's just that Ricchan…" She paused and looked at her back.

"Yeah, where is she?" Mio asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend who seemed to be staring at an empty corner.

"Um…well, she insisted that we go ahead." Tsumugi explained.

"What, why?"

"…she says she has to pass by somewhere first…"

"What? Where is she? Let me talk to her."

"She's…just around there, actually."

True enough; a petite figure was hiding at the turning corner into the foyer, the hoodie from her black jacket latched on as if it was raining.

"Ritsu? What are you doing? Let's go already!"

"Uh yeah…about that, just go ahead. I'll catch up, promise." She answered rather hastily, turning her back on Mio.

"What are you talking about? We all agreed that we'll go together today. C'mon already!"

"I'll just catch up!"

"What's up anyway? And look at me while talking!"

"…no."

"Quit being a brat, Ritsu. Face me already. What happened?"

"It's nothing! I just have to buy something…"

"We can do that on the way."

"That's the problem."

Confused and slightly frustrated at how she was acting, Mio grabbed her small shoulders.

"I won't be able to help if you don't…" She had to put a decent amount of effort to make the girl face her as she was was surprisingly strong for someone her stature. "…tell…"

There wasn't any big reason why the ceil eyed bassist trailed off like she did, but something about her friend's appearance nearly caught at her unsuspecting heart beat. It was as if she was looking at someone completely different.

Ritsu had her usually pushed back fringes down, properly combed to boot.

"D-don't laugh!" She warned immediately, her face extremely crimson.

What, how could she laugh? She looked so unrecognizable and—heaven forbid—_cute_. Not that she'll ever say that to the girl's face ever. And it wasn't as if this was the first time Mio saw her look like this, because she's seen it tons of times in the past.

So why was she reacting now? Her was just down!

…though maybe the hood and her endearing pout helped, but EHHH. That's not the point!

"Oi, what's with that look? You're laughing deep down, aren't you? !" She accused.

"N-no! Why would I laugh?" Mio instantly denied.

"Because this is weird!" She exclaimed putting down the hood, and pointing at her unusual hair getup. "My headband got lost this morning, and Mugi told me I should try a leaving it this way…"

"You don't look weird…"

"You're just saying that."

"You really don't! You actually look good in it…" Oh boy, now she was complimenting…not that she didn't deserve it, but damn.

"Really now…" Close to being convinced, she figured. They really had to go.

"At least your gigantic forehead isn't showing…"

"Oh shut up!"

...

_Meanwhile, at the other pair…_

_...  
_

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say, Mio-chan…" A disproving look.

"She'll get better in time, Yui-chan." The other reassured.

"Ricchan sure looks like me though!"

"Yes, you two will make a terrific pair of twins."

Of course there was an obvious choice in Ui, but since she has limited resources for now, this will do.

"I dunno about that, but she's definitely my soulmate!"

_Ah, Yui-chan. You have no idea how delighted that makes me…_

…

After few more minutes of reluctance, Ritsu finally gave in and embraced her so-called 'hair change'. It wasn't so bad.

So on they went on their fairly short trip to the University, happily chatting all the while. So far, the mischievous little drummer hasn't tried taunting her yet like she expected to. But she'll be ready for it.

As an aside, Mio was thankful that she wasn't the only one who grew a few inches. Mugi was almost as tall as her—probably because of her half ancestry (that was still a bit of a mystery for her)—she'll probably grow some more when the time comes. Yui grew as well, probably around 163 centimeters now. As for Ritsu…who proudly announced that she grew three inches from when they last saw her, was still the shortest among the four.

"I'll be taking up business." Tsumugi told an attentive Mio.

"Heh…I was thinking along the lines of professional pianist, but that suits you too. Really, anything does, with your kind of skill."

"That's an overstatement, Mio-chan, but thank you all the same."

"No, no, I really meant it."

"That's right, may I know what you decided on, Ricchan?" She clasped her fingers in eagerness.

"Professional…slacker!" She said with a mix pride and ridicule.

"Sounds like a nice major, Ricchan!" Yui joined in excitedly.

"I know, right! I'll be on the top my class!"

"Stop fooling around! Think about this more seriously!" Mio demanded, giving her the ritual hit on the head.

"…I am! And that really hurt!"

"Really? Professional _slacker_? !"

"I was making a cute joke…"

"It's not cute!"

"…so what is it, really?" Tsumugi queried again.

"Well, I read the pamphlet, and the programs for the Music Department didn't seem to offer stuff for drummers…" Ritsu complained, scratching her head.

"There's the Timpani…" Mio suggested.

"What's that?" Yui asked, hearing the new word befuddled her.

"Basically, it is a kind of drum. It's rarely used for bands though. But I do know some bands that use it."

"Oh…I learn something new every day!"

"So are you planning to go for that, Ricchan?"

"I might! Anyway, I chose Accounting as a Plan B."

"Accounting? ! Ritsu, do you know what you're getting yourself into? ! Think about this again!"

"Sure. It's all numbers and stuff, right? I can handle that~."

"It's not _just _that!"

"Eh, I didn't like anything else they offered!"

"That's not the point…!"

"…um, in her defense Mio-chan, choosing what you like is a crucial part of what determines your future…"

"But it'll be hard…"

"What, you don't trust that I'll manage?"

"I believe in you, Ricchan! Reach for the stars!"

"You're the best, Yui!"

"I too, believe in you, Ricchan! Don't give up the fight!"

"You bet!"

Yui and Tsumugi then looked at the hesitant Mio, expecting her to at least accept the choice her childhood friend made.

"F-fine! It can't be helped…just don't come crying to me when this doesn't work for you…"

"…I can't promise you anything." She smiled sheepishly.

"Geez, I don't want you failing! You have to take this seriously!"

"I'll try my utmost best, milady!" The girl saluted.

"You better." _At the very most, I'm quite confident with her math skills…_

…

Once they got into the University grounds, their excitement elevated. It didn't look too lively when they went there in the past for the entrance exam, but it was now bustling with lively girls. It felt a bit like Sakurakou, and the quartet couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.

"We won't have tea times too often now, huh…"

"Why are you still thinking of tea all the way here?"

"Ehehe…force of habit?"

"Well then, why don't we get ourselves enrolled and get our schedules? That way, we can discuss when to meet for our band practices."

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Don't forget tea time!"

"Azusa will be very displeased to find out about this careless attitude, Yui-san…"

"You're one to talk, Ritsu…"

After a bit of more chattering, the girls went on their separate ways to enroll into their respective courses.

.../../../...

"So we're all free on Tuesdays…" Mio murmured in contemplation.

"Such a fortunate coincidence…" Tsumugi commented, her eyes sparkling.

"I'll mail Azu-nyan about it…" Yui declared, texting furiously at her phone.

"I wonder how the recruitment's going over at Azusa's…" Ritsu wondered aloud.

Since leaving the presidency to her twin-tailed underclassman, she couldn't help but constantly think about how the she and the club will fare.

"I'm sure they worked something out. Azusa's being helped by Ui-chan and Jun-chan too."

"Strange…she didn't reply right away…"

"Yui, you just sent the message."

"But she replies really quick!"

"Is that so…"

"More importantly, Ricchan, I heard a professor's already taken an interest in you…"

"What…? Where the heck did you pick that up?"

"It's the talk of the whole…Music Department!"

"…so you ended up choosing Music after all…ah, why do I even bother…" Mio grumbled listlessly, remembering the events from earlier.

"And just what were you doing in the Music Department? !"

"I got lost in there for a while…hehe…"

Tsumugi lit up a bit and questioned. "I-is it a woman? !"

"Mugi, what does a woman…anyway, this is the first time I've heard of this! What did you do this time?"

"The creep kept making passes at my seatmate and made her uneasy...so long story short, I gave him a piece of my mind!"

"What? I thought it was a love issue…at least from what I kept hearing."

"Don't be quick to believe those gossips! If anything, that prof probably has it against me now…"

Mio sighed in relief; it was nothing more than Ritsu being herself. Albeit she was fairly worried what entails that misconduct. But more importantly, why did she feel weird after hearing that someone was interested in her best friend? It was the same feeling of insecurity that plagued her when she thought she had a boyfriend in the past.

"Ah, Azu-nyan is calling!" Yui excitedly proclaimed.

"Well, answer it. And put it on loud speaker."

After a few clicking, she gleefully greeted. "Hi, Azu-nyan! I missed you~!"

["What? We just saw each other three days ago…"]

"Three days is such a long time for me…"

"Oi, do the flirting at a later date…"

["Oh, you're together with everyone? I think that was Ritsu-sempai."]

"Yeah, we're heading back to the dorm."

["I see. Well, the reason I called was to tell you about the recruitment..."]

"How was it? How was it?" Everyone huddled around Yui as a result.

["It really surprised me, but we have four new members now!"]

"Four? ! That's…that's great, Azu-nyan!"

"Whoa, that's awesome! What'd you do, Azusa?" Ritsu asked, sounding as if the girl did something fishy.

["What's that supposed to mean? !"]

"But getting four members is such an achievement. Splendid job, Azusa-chan."

["Thank you, Mugi-sempai. Also, that still doesn't include Ui and Jun."]

"Ui-chan joined? What instrument is she playing?" Mio asked in mild curiosity.

["She opted for the keyboard. She says she'll save some money to buy one. Until then, she'll be using the Music room's organ."]

"Ooh! I'll call her later and give my encouragements!"

"Hey, hey, what's your drummer like? Was there a drummer with the new faces?"

["Yes. Her name is Kawaguchi Senri-chan, a first year. She actually joined because she's a big fan of yours, Ritsu-sempai."]

"For real? !"

"Ricchan, Senri-chan…it rhymes!"

["She's a meek girl, very determined however. Her drumming is excellent."]

"Aww, I wanna meet them!"

"Don't get too excited now…"

["There are two second years, both are guitarists. Their names are Nishina Mutsuki and Kobayakawa Yuuki. The last one is a first year bassist named Akimoto Runa."]

"Heh...nice start, _buchou_. As expected of my successor."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"What, I was an awesome prez! Right, Yui?"

"…there are some things that even I can't agree with, Ricchan…"

"T-traitor!"

A hearty laugh was then heard from Yui's phone, one that was contagious enough to make the group giggle along.

["W-well then, I'll have to run some errands for my parents. I hope everyone enjoyed their first day. I'll call again, see you on Tuesday!"]

"See ya!" The four chorused.

A quick beep, and the call was over.

…

With the lighthearted guitar strumming Yui did from just above her, and the atmosphere of the dorm room that felt almost like her room at home, Mio smiled contently. After a tiring day of walking around and taking notes from the enormous campus of her University, she couldn't help but just lie on her bed lazily. She knew College was tiring, but this was just the first day! The norm would be at least a month or two, right? Her exhaustion wasn't solely because of her Uni student status though, was it? She had a lot of other things on her mind too. Like…

A certain brunette with a massive forehead…

"Th-that's not a reasonable excuse!"

"E-eh? ! What isn't?" Yui inquired, alarmed enough to make her stop with her strumming.

_Crap! I said it out loud!_

Really, she had to remember that she's not in her room anymore. "U-uh, nothing…sorry for startling you."

"Okay. But you could always talk to me, alright?" And the soothing guitar sounds were playing again.

She might have to take up her offer sometime soon. Yui after all, was the one she made to stay up all night just listening to her frustrated rambles from the past. She was a good listener and conversationalist, surprisingly.

"Yui, do you think something's wrong with me?"

"Not really. Why, do you think there's something wrong with you?"

"I don't really know…it's just that, well…I always end up thinking of...Ritsu."

They couldn't see each other, but Mio could tell that the brown haired girl wasn't taken aback or shocked at her confession. She continued playing tunes with Gitah as if the whole conversation didn't even happen.

"You probably have a crush on her, Mio-chan."

"E-eh?"

"It makes sense. Why would you tense up at the mention of someone interested in her if you didn't like her in the least?"

"Wh-when did I tense up? !"

"Just earlier."

_She noticed that? ! _

"O-of course I would! What if she got in trouble for her misbehavior?"

"That's a bit conflicting…you sighed in relief when you heard that it was just about that."

Not knowing what else to say after her failure of excuses, she buried her face onto a pillow and silently cursed at herself. Seriously, why can't she just calmly deny that it wasn't like that? The blood that rushed to her face wasn't helping in the slightest bit either. Was Yui right? Did she really have this stupid crush on Ritsu? Why her, of all the possible people out here? _Why_ a girl?

"Mio-chan?" Her roommate called out.

"Mmyeah?" A muffled reply came from below.

"My dad used to tell me this, 'Once you become more clear about who you really are and accept it, you'll do better at deciding what's best for you.'"

"…and you're telling this to me because…?"

"I felt like I had to?"

Mio stood up and placed her hand at the base of her friend's bunk bed, looking like an unsure child asking for her favorite candy.

"…was I always this obvious…?"

The girl can only look back at her with a goofy smile. "I don't really know."

She chuckled quietly. After years of being friends, she still hasn't grasped a good idea to figure out what went through Yui's mind. She was outwardly naïve, and yet she notices the most miniscule of things with people. She'd sporadically be hilariously predictable one second, then erratic the next. But when the moment asked for it, the things she says make the most sense. More sense than her own disagreeing thoughts, anyway.

"Thanks, I think I can sleep easily now."

"So you really have a crush on Ricchan? Spring sure is in full bloom…"

"N-no!"

But one thing's for sure, this 'crush' needs to go.

_And_ _why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?_

_

* * *

_

**TL Note**: Kawaguchi Senri was based off that cute 13-year old drummer in youtube that I constantly follow because she makes K-On drum covers. Tl;dr, I heart her. XD And atarashii means new.


	2. It can't be helped

The next couple of weeks became rather hectic and eventful as the four of them went through with their mismatched class schedules. Humanities fortunately was the perfect choice for Yui as she fitted in as fast as a bee could sting. Making friends was the most natural occurrence too, as she already found people who to eat and chat with on her adventures to the cafeteria. It was the same with Ritsu and her little group that was later dubbed by the whole Music building as the "percussionists". They were a cheerful bunch of girls who occasionally make minor mischief around the campus. And Business being the closest department to it was fairly up-to-date with the recent on-goings; with a certain blonde _and_ a particular sempai pointing out proudly that their friend was part of it. Her mysterious and unpredictable aura together with her surprisingly perfect tandem with an equally enigmatic individual was always the talk of the otherwise serious crowd she trots on.

As for one Akiyama Mio, the Literature Department served as a peaceful and comforting refuge. People there rarely interacted, as they often tend to be absorbed in their own world. This particular formula worked splendidly with her slightly reclusive attitude, but there would be little instances when she wished someone was there to make her blood boil in excitement. Things are remedied every Tuesday though, as it was on that day of each week that they find themselves united again as they met up for practice.

The gang, at first, would jam at the dorm's unused garage (with permission) and have a blast that would sometimes bother some of the residents. So as per Azusa's suggestion, they tried negotiating with Sakurakou about the usage of the music room every Tuesday after school, but that only lasted for a month and a half thanks to the Theater Club.

Having little choice, they went around renting recording studios, with a few gigs here and there, mostly thanks to their former (current for Azusa) teacher Yamanaka Sawako. But come July, they were presented with an accessible and well-facilitated studio _of their own_. One that was exceptionally relaxing to a point where they would just stare in space after a good round of songs and a little tea in between. All thanks to **heaven sent** Tsumugi who provided all these accommodating laxities upon them.

She didn't usually ask for anything in particular for her birthday, so Mr. Kotobuki was deeply moved that his daughter finally asked something that she wanted after all these years. What could be more appropriate for a fine pianist than a studio of her own? Especially with her beloved friends along with her, the man could only rush everything as an early coming-of-age present. All was worth it.

Now taking pride as a Music major, Ritsu improved remarkably with her drumming for Ho-kago Tea Time. The others didn't lag behind in this aspect either, as they all sounded better compared to their high school days. Azusa on the other hand, who perfectly juggled her band time and club activities efficiently proved to be in tip-top shape as always. There was also a big change in music and lyric composition, which they figured out once they tried compiling their songs on CD (at the suggestion of Sawa-chan). Little by little, everyone felt like they were moving closer to their goal—for some reason though, there was a nagging presence of 'something' that bothered Yui greatly. Her grades were fine, her social life was relatively healthy, and the band was doing well. What could it be?

"Azu-nyan, do you feel funny about something, or is it just me?" She asked, sipping her tea.

"I think that's just you, Yui-sempai. I don't particularly feel funny." The junior replied curtly.

"I can't quite put my finger on it…but something's really…odd."

"Don't tell me you forgot to study for your midterms…there's only a week left."

"How rude, I actuall—

"MIDTERMS? !" A fear-stricken Ritsu repeated loudly, interrupting the guitarist.

"…did you perhaps forget about it, Ricchan?" Tsumugi inquired, a look of worry emanated her features.

"Y-yeah! I have to do a solo presentation on the Timpani and I haven't come up with anything yet!"

"You're not writing on paper? ! That's unfair!" Yui suddenly whined, pouting as she did.

"…that's not the point here, sempai."

"But she's not taking written exams!" The girl reasoned. "…maybe I should shift to the Music Department…" She added as an afterthought.

The things she says always left her vexed. "Don't even think about something so rash!"

Ritsu grinned at their natural tsukommi and boke routine. "So, I'll have to research big time to nail this thing. Mind if I leave early?"

"Go on ahead, Ricchan. We're done for today's practice."

"Thanks. See you next Tuesday!"

"Good luck!"

"Please take care on the way!"

"You guys too!"

Once the drummer was out of sight, Yui conclusively realized what it was that troubled her.

…

"What are you talking about?" Mio questioned, her expression uninterested.

"I don't know when it started, but you and Ricchan aren't talking to each other anymore!" Indeed, there was not even a trace of small conversation shared between the two of them in the past few months. She somehow wished she noticed it sooner.

"…and? It's not like there's anything to talk about." She said dismissively, going over to the desk just next to the double-deck bed pulling out her notebook and a pen.

"But that doesn't…"

"Listen, we both can manage without each other. You shouldn't be too worked up about this."

Yui narrowed her eyes as if she just heard the lamest lie in the world. But seeing as her dark-haired roommate didn't seem to budge from her cold exterior, she just shrugged. "Okay then, good night Mio-chan."

Mio didn't reply back and went back to writing—or at least her futile attempt at it.

It really irked her when she was constantly reminded of Ritsu. Just when she thought she'd done a great job of avoiding the girl, there would be people who would strike a chord with her on how their friendship has dwindled. The girl in question didn't bother inquiring her about the out of the blue treatment however, or she was probably too insensitive to realize. So if even _she_ didn't worry about it, why would other people's observation matter? Did she really look bad without that moron? It was bewildering.

All she did was decide what was best for her. What was wrong with that? Because surely, containing such strange feelings for a female best friend was not a good way to go on with. It needed to disappear, even at the cost of sleepless nights and a scarred camaraderie. It was that threatening.

She had to avoid talking to her, reject her every call, decline her occasional invites, pretend she never existed and a lot more to keep herself standing on her toes. Something she often found difficulty in, since she was so used to having Ritsu stick with her all the time.

"_Once you become more clear about who you really are and accept it, you'll do better at deciding what's best for you."_

Why did it feel like she just dug herself a bigger hole though? Didn't those words supposed to help her? What went wrong?

These thoughts lingered glaringly around her already bemused mind, pulling her in a deeper spiral of puzzlement as the second passed. And if it weren't for the sudden ringing of her phone, she might have resigned herself to the confusion and gave up. She eyed the receiver screen that indicated an incoming call from none other than her subject of remorse.

"…Ritsu?"

["It…it connected? Mugi, it connected! What now? !"]

"…what are you on about?" Mio had to ask, what was this girl up to?

["M-Mio! Can…can I talk to you?"]

"Aren't you already?" _Why are you even calling when you're just a few rooms away?_

["It never hurts to ask, right? Haha…]

The uncharacteristic edginess from her voice was somewhat unsettling.

"So what do you want to talk about? I'm not helping you with schoolwork, just so you know."

["No…it has nothing to do with that…"]

"Out with it, you're wasting my time."

["Are you mad at me…? Would really help if I knew."]

With that thrown at her, it was hard to heave a reply.

["You were never this hostile, did I do something wrong at some point?"]

As much as she wanted to say that yes, this enmity towards her was all her fault, she'd only be lying. To Ritsu as well as herself.

["Because if I did…I'm really, really, sorry. We've been friends for so long, wouldn't it suck to leave it like this? I promise I'll make it up to you ten folds. I'll even do your laundry!"]

It was always annoying to have a flurry of emotions clashing with each other, but Ritsu was good at making her feel _exactly_ like that. She was so torn between crying and laughing.

["If that's not enough, I'm never going to bother you again. The last thing I want is you hating on me. So again, I'm really, terribly sorry. …can you forgive me?"]

It was bad enough that she wasn't in the same classroom or building as her, and now she's saying that she won't bother her anymore?

No, just no.

The thought was unbearable.

"Idiot…there's no way I could hate you…"

["Eh…?"]

"I'm not mad at you…I should be the one apologizing, too… Sorry for making you worry."

["Then…why are you avoiding me?"]

She couldn't just say that she was having trouble accepting that she had a big crush on her and was jealous of every life form that came close or has shown an interest towards her or that she was always the subject of her thoughts every night that she often dreamt of her, could she?

Wait, what? !

"I-I'm not! I was just really busy thinking about…what I should write…"

["Oh…now I feel really stupid. I thought I did something wrong and it made you angry…"]

"Y-you're so silly. I would just give you a smack and get it over with…"

_Smack…? Oh great, now I'm having perverted thoughts about my grammar…_

["That's true…agh, now I'm embarrassed…"]

The thought of Ritsu blushing _because of her_ gave Mio a feeling of overwhelming triumph somehow.

["Well, if you need to talk, anything at all, I'm a call away, okay? Or actually, I'm just a few rooms away…"]

"You make it sound so easy…" _Even casting a glance is hard enough._

["Huh? Could you repeat that? I couldn't quite hear you."]

"Go back to minding your midterms, stupid."

["Eh? Sure but…"]

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Good night."

Before the girl from the other line could say another word, Mio pushed the button that ended their call. She stared at the phone screen for a while before composing a quick message.

"Did it go well?" Tsumugi keenly asked.

"It turned out to be nothing at all…and I just made a fool out of myself." Ritsu explained, her embarrassment apparent.

"But at least you guys are talking again!"

"I guess so…"

Just then, her phone blinked a bit, notifying her of a new message.

"Is it from Mio-chan?"

"Yeah…"

**I think something like Heads Up! by Mark Ford would be good for a solo. Work hard on it, you got me?**

**- Mio **

.../../../...

As the examination week came and passed, the Ho-kago Tea Time band found themselves headed—to their absolute surprise—to a three-day concert in Chiba. It was basically a gathering of indie bands from across the Kanto region. Of course, several famous bands are going to be there as well. And thanks to an ever-crafty Sawako and her impeccable web of connections, HTT was invited to perform as well. The time couldn't have been more perfect for the girls as Summer Break started for all of them in time for the event.

"Hey, hey, Bump of Chicken is gonna be there!" Ritsu excitedly shared with her slightly carsick seatmate.

"Sounds tasty…" The other commented unsteadily.

"Uh, they're a band..."

"Oh…are they good?"

"Hell yeah! Let me back it up." A few woozy seconds later, Yui felt something placed in her left ear, music started playing thereafter.

"Ohhh…"

"They're good, aren't they? That song's called Harujion."

The faint afterglow of how well her midterms came out didn't last too long once she found out about their seating arrangement in the vehicle. Normally, she would be thankful about not ending up with either of them on a road trip. This time though, Mio had to bite her lower lip in hopes of keeping her cool. Her eyes were discreetly glued to her side—where the whacky duo happily chatted away, complete with teasing and skinship she never knew she would actually take note of. She can't exactly pinpoint the reason for it, but something about the sight of them getting along _so darn well_ made her swell up in envy. Mugi didn't help any as she was just staring dreamily at the exchange.

She really had to wonder what the heck was going on with her. Yui and Ritsu were typically very close in the first place…so why did she have the urge to suddenly break them up from their fun?

_Bad thoughts, bad thoughts…I shouldn't think this way!_

Azusa, who was attentively pushing the buttons of her cell phone didn't seem to pick up the ominous aura her upperclassman emitted.

…

Safely making it to their destination, Sawako led the group to first check in to the nearest hotel. Oddly though, the one their adviser chose only offered rooms for pairs—kinda like how those love hotels work—with the reason that it was cheaper than most. And once again, Mio got the short hand of the stick after finding out that she was to share a room with Mugi this time. It was not like she didn't want to, but now she was going to be haunted by the thought of what could happen to Ritsu and Azusa in one room without her hawk-like supervision. Well, no, that was not the main reason for her dissatisfaction, the big chunk of it only really rode on her selfish desire to actually share a room with the drummer. Curse those random draws Yui suggested.

After securing their temporary dwelling place, the girls decided to see the first day of the three-day live concert in the open area near Togane highway. They were slotted for the third day, and were the last band to play for the whole concert. So they spent their two days going along with the many people who shouted in support for their favorite bands as well as sightseeing.

Come the last day, their pressure peaked. The second-to-the-last band was almost done with their turn.

"Alright girls, gear up for your first gig of the summer!" Sawako keyed up, pumping a fist in the air.

_We're gonna have more then?_

"You got it, Sawa-chan! We'll rock the stage like we never did before!" Yui's eyes twinkled as she imitated the older woman's action.

"You're right, Yui. Let's have fun and awe those people out there!"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded, their face fiery with determination. Their anxiety didn't dissipate, but that just added to the overall mood of the moment. Even Mio, who would very so often murmur depressing things to herself before a performance looked immensely firm.

"Right. Let's do this, everyone!"

"Ou!"

Despite their initial tension once they got on stage, their performance hitched off without incident. Only allowed to play four songs, they agreed to go with Listen, Don't say Lazy, No Thank you and Youth Vibration. It was a lineup of their newer creations, with lyrics all done by Mio this time around. The crowd cheered loudly at their unique choice of song and lyrics, giving the girls a bigger reason to pump up their show to higher levels. At the bridge of their last song _Sweet Bitter Beauty Song_, that was a result of an unexpected encore, Yui shredded at her guitar with breathtaking passion. Her fellow band mates smiled widely at the development that made the audience yell rowdily and root for her. As if to reply, she gave a little service and did the infamous signature move, the 'windmill style'. The mob whistled and exhorted wildly at the sight.

_**Nee, kimi nara nani wo utau?**_

With that last lyric, they were done. The big finisher to their first ever concert, and they had such a blast.

…

"Yui-sempai really went all out. That last act really caught me off guard!" The pigtailed guitarist said, thoroughly impressed.

"Ehehe, it just kinda happened…" Yui said, twiddling with her fingers.

"Still, that was some finale! It reminded me of The Who too!" Ritsu added, giddy as always.

Mio smiled. "Pete Townshend, right?"

"Yeah! That guy!"

"He's a lot of things. Father is actually a fan of him." Tsumugi revealed.

"And for good reason."

"Is he like that drummer who blew his house?"

"Um…no? He smashes his guitar from time to time though."

"In live concerts? !"

"Yes, the band's pretty extreme—

"Yeah~! You all looked pretty extreme back there~!" A slightly inebriated Sawako roared.

They had their 'after-party' at a nearby 24-hour Oden food cart that fortunately had a lone bottle of sake for such occasions. As all of them were still underage to engage in drinking alcohol, their adviser was the only one who dare tried finishing it to the last drop—under the guise of heroic sacrifice, whatever that meant.

"Hey guys, what are your plans for the rest of the summer?" Yui asked, finishing her second helpings of abuurage.

"Study…and um, plan a training camp for the Light Music Club." Azusa answered, her responsible demeanor evident as always.

Ritsu perked up in interest. "Oooh, have anything in mind yet?"

"Well, according to Jun and the first years, they used to attend a band camp in Gotenba. I think we'll give that one a shot."

"Ehh, you're not going to the beach?" Yui questioningly interrupted.

An inevitable sweatdrop appeared on twin-tailed lass. "That would be us, if we did…"

"So I guess no tea time either right?" Mio assuredly concluded.

"Well, yes…"

"I almost never come there anymore~! They're all so serious~!" Sawako complained, gulping another cup full of sake.

"That's how it supposed to be anyway…deal with it, Sawa-chan." Ritsu playfully patted the woman's back.

"I bet you're really popular with the juniors, Azusa-chan." Tsumugi piped in.

"Um, I don't really know about that…"

"Oh, she is! Ui tells me that their two guitarists always had this appreciative smile on their faces once Azu-nyan talks! There are even some girls who sneak peeks in their after school practices!"

"I'm sure that's not only for me. Everyone is pretty popular around campus. I'll even go as far as saying that Ui has a pretty big following…even Runa-chan and Senri-chan."

"That's really something. You've really outdone yourself as the president, Azusa."

"I-it's nothing at all. We all just do what we love and come out perfectly."

"With that number of members, do you tend to switch members from time to time? I mean, there are two bassists and three guitarists after all."

"Yes, I distribute the songs for each of us. We do still learn each other's parts just in case."

"Who writes the songs, if I may know?"

"Oh, our drummer does them mostly…Ui made two songs as well. Both of them has a really nice sense for the job, and we just tweak it a bit if a suggestion comes up from the other members."

"Oh, oh! I wanna hear!"

"You'll be able to hear us play once the Cultural Festival comes around."

"I won't miss it for the world!"

Mio mentally agreed with the former before asking. "By the way, who does the lyric composition, Azusa?"

"Ah, me and Ui…Jun would help at times too." She responded shyly. "Oh right, how about everyone's plans for the summer?"

"I'll go back home and spend the summer with Ui and everyone." Yui stated, smiling goofily all the while.

"I'm getting a job. I'm thinking about buying a new drum set…" Ritsu continued, scratching her cheek absently.

"You won't visit your parents?" Asked Mio, a bit surprised.

"I will, for about a day or two…"

"Mugi, how about you?"

"I will be spending most of the summer in Finland."

_Finland again, huh?_

Everyone seemed to share the same thoughts. Sawako seemed to have sobered up from her drunken stupor as well.

"So Sawa-chan, I bet you're gonna spend yours with your boy—

"NO, SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU. I'm stuck at school handling paperwork over the summer…" She sounded pitiful narrating the latter part.

"I'm terribly sorry, Yamanaka-san."

The bespectacled lady wept in dramatic silence, earning stifled hilarity and sympathy from the five girls.

.../../../...

August always made the weather humid, the one temperature Mio disliked. She was back in her room at home, after convincing herself that staying back at the dorm without her friends around will only drive her to a corner. Of course, Ritsu still stayed there, her job nearby the Uni and all, but she was the very person who would effectively make things a lot harder for her if she ever decided to stay behind. She purposely planted her forehead at the surface of her desk before sighing deeply; things only became more complicated since she rekindled her friendship with the carefree brunette. For one, her jealousy streak was becoming more frequent, to a point where she didn't want to settle being out of the loop when it came to the girl's social activities with others anymore.

In her findings, she learned that her idiot of a friend was a pretty famous figure around the university grounds as she expected. Being the cheery and friendly person that she was, she couldn't blame other people to instantly approach and befriend her. She had a charisma that could melt the cold barrier of even the most unmotivated person (point in case: her former classmate Ichigo—who was now in the same department as her, for whatever reason she didn't want to know) with just her radiant grinning. The next obvious course of action was to invite her to hang out with them or bring her to mixers—that she often couldn't refuse (according to Mugi anyway). She didn't want to imagine just how many times men (or women) tried to put the moves on her, as it would only lead her to her bite pillow in annoyance.

What disturbed her greatly however, was how she didn't just stop there. Whenever the other girl had her attention on someone else other than her, either a normal conversation or nonsensical banter (was she some kind of closet masochist? !), she would feel downbeat and aggravated. Heck, she would periodically envy even her own friends!

…even then, she would always wish the best for Ritsu at the end of the day. Whether it was with her or otherwise, she wanted her to have the finest of everything.

It was that weird.

Over the last week, she tried suppressing the mishmash of emotions and focus on something that actually—_actually_ benefited her. And the result of it all only produced one, confusing eye-opener.

She _loved_ her best friend.

At this point in time, she was sure her feelings were not as innocent like she first thought—especially not after those horrendously risqué dreams—it wasn't just some random puppy crush she once believed it to be. Her biggest dilemma as of late.

Getting rid of it wasn't easy either, as she was at a stage where she didn't find the need to deny or question any of it try as she may. Sometimes she tried picturing what it would be like if Ritsu never existed in her life, but she would only end up crying. Every possible solution she found to free herself from the predicament only made her love the girl more. And she hated feeling that way.

_Darn it, now I miss her…_

"Mio dear?" Her mom's voice resonated from outside her door.

"Y-yes, mama?"

"You have a call from Ritsu-chan."

Her head shot up as if the gods suddenly dropped the best present before her. "O-oh, is that so?"

"Yes, come down and get her."

She froze all movement for while.

The way her mother worded it made her blood and perspiration rush throughout her body.

_Agh, no. I'm thinking too much again!_

"A-alright, be right down!"

There was no need to brush her hair and pretty herself up, but she did anyway, much to her late dismay.

_Oh get a grip, Ritsu's just on the phone!_

Mio rushed down the stairs and grabbed the cordless phone from the table near the last flight of step down to their living room.

"Hello?"

["Hey Mio! …THE KUCHISAKE-ONNA'S BEHIND YOU!"]

The prankster must have expected a shriek, but unfortunately for her, the usual victim readied herself for such situations. It was naïve of her to expect that she'll stay oppressed by this needless teasing.

"…and? Is she gonna ask how pretty she is?" She deadpanned.

["Juuust kid—eh?"]

_Remind me again why I came to love this idiot…?_

["Erm, well…I'm glad to hear you're still snarky as usual, Mio-chuan!"]

"Why did you call me?"

["Aww, I'm not allowed to?"]

"No."

["How horrible! Here I am missing my beloved best friend so badly, and she rejects me like a fly!"]

"Quit the theatrics, _Juliet_. What do you want?" She managed to keep her voice steady even with the impulsive charge of blood that spread through her cheeks.

["Ahh, _Romeo_, am I not to call you with a desire to hear thy voice~?"]

"I'm hanging up."

["Eh? Wait, wait, sorry!"]

"I'm listening." To cover up the conflicting enthusiasm that was brewing inside her, pretending to be annoyed was the best course of action she could muster.

["Um…well, remember when I said I'd stay for a while at my folk's place? I'm coming back this Friday."]

"Really?"

["Yeah, and uhh…you're not busy on Sunday, right?"]

"Not really, why?"

["Er, it's been a while since we hung out together, so I was thinking…"]

Getting it, she just went on and answered. "Sure, I'll go." It has indeed been a while, she just hoped she didn't sound too eager.

["For real? Awesome!"]

"Why do you talk like I'll refuse you?"

["Because you might? You really do sometimes."]

_And I regret it all now, thank you very much…_

["So okay, let's meet at 10, I'll probably come over to your place."]

"Alright."

["See you then! Thanks Mio!"]

Mio took a deep breath, mentally chanting that it wasn't a date repeatedly until she returned to her room—where she gave in and inwardly squealed. She hugged her rabbit plushie closely in her dream-like state, then realized her uncharacteristic behavior and tried begrudgingly to halt it at once. She really tried.

_It's not a date. So why am I so happy?_

Before she completely lost her logical thought, her pessimism dragged her back to reality.

…_then again, that will be the closest I get to a date with her…_

She grumpily stood up to mark the date on her calendar.

"Eh…twenty-first?"

* * *

So I realize I suck at breaking down chapters. At least it's easier to read now? *shot*

**TL Note**: Kuchisake Onna is some Japanese ghost. Google it. XD


	3. Courage amidst Fear

I was actually thinking of breaking it down to four chapters, but ended up cramming up the tl;dr in this chapter…whatcha think?

* * *

It was like in the old Japanese proverb, the third time was certainly a charm.

It was already 1 in the morning when Mio took out her masterfully designed chocolate cake out of the oven after her third attempt at it. She carefully placed it on the table and gazed proudly at it.

"Perfect."

As there was no box to contain it, she had to cut up a makeshift one and place it in the fridge to cool down. That way, tomorrow…no,_ today_…

"…Mio! Mio, wake up! Mio~!"

The familiar voice repeated her name over and over, as if trying to get her attention.

"Wha…" She managed to grumble.

"Rise and shine, princess!"

It turned out to be Ritsu, who seemed to be amused at what she was seeing.

"Wh…what are you doing in my room…"

"Your mom told me to go ahead and wake you up, so here I am!"

Once the words sank in, her eyes widened.

"The cake!"

Amber eyes narrowed in confusion. "The what?"

Ignoring her, she stood up, ran downstairs and went directly for the refrigerator.

_I really made one, right…?_

She inhaled deeply as she held onto the handle.

_It's got to be here…_

Her heart almost stopped when she saw nothing that resembled a box or a cake inside.

"No…" _Did I dream all that?_

Mio felt her knees weaken tremendously. What was the point of all her planni—

"Oh, Mio. If you're looking for the cake, I took the box out and placed it on the table." Mrs. Akiyama informed, oblivious of her daughter's distress.

"Th…thanks, mama…" She shakily uttered.

"I thought you'd eat it together with Ritsu-chan, so I went on ahead and took out the plates."

"O-oh…I…appreciate it. Thank you…"

A bit crestfallen, she decided to go back to her room.

"Hey, what was that just now?" Asked a baffled Ritsu who stood just beside the doorway.

_Might as well be honest… _"I…"

It was harder than she thought. The brown haired girl didn't help as she only stared cluelessly at her—an expression Mio found strangely _cute_—how much has she been using that word anyway?

"I…" She tried again.

"…oh yeah, before that…" The other girl cut her off, face becoming rather pink in color.

"…what?"

"Um, you might want to…button your shirt."

"Wh-what? !" Just as her friend said, her night attire was definitely unbuttoned. It exposed a good part of her racy, black bra, something that she didn't want anyone to ever see. Especially not Ritsu.

"Wh-wh-why didn't you tell me this sooner? !" She covered her once bare front.

_Why didn't mama tell me either? !_

"I just noticed it too!"

The whole mishap begged for an awkward silence between them—one that almost never occurred before in their timeline of companionship. In fact, Mio actually expected some massive teasing over the staggering stillness, but Ritsu didn't seem to be keen on doing it for whatever reason. Thankfully though, it didn't last for too long. The shorter of the two started giggling in amusement as she secured the buttons back into place for the taller one. An action the bassist never expected in a million years. Naturally, her color just took over and made her paper-thin obvious.

"Now I really feel a lot older," The tanned haired lass beamed faintly. "Even with that sexy bra of yours, you're still such a baby sometimes, Mio."

"Sh…shut up. I was up all night baking you a cake…it's not like I wanted this to happen…"

"You did?"

Realizing what she just confessed, she mentally facepalmed at her awesomely inauspicious blunder. She had the lousiest timing ever.

"Well…yeah. It's…your birthday and all…" She felt her voice and wit betraying her further.

"B-but…you've never done that before!" Shock was still mangling her imagination. "Maybe you're sick! Let's check your temp—

"ARGH, I'm fine! Is my goodwill so hard to believe? ! Then fine, I'll never bake you a cake again!" Mio snapped, retreating to her room all puffed.

"Wait!" An arm reached out to stop her.

"What?"

"I know an idiot who can't properly express gratitude even if her life depended on it."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just imagine I'm like that." She declared, with a smile that drove all her negativities away.

She gave a small smirk back. "Idiot…"

They spent a rare moment of mutual calm before Ritsu decided to be candid.

"I'm really happy."

"After what I've been through, you should be."

"I bet you had to do it three times…"

"No I didn't!" _Or did I?_

…

_It's not a date._

A thought Mio recited like a mantra for the remainder of her time dressing herself up in the mirror. She wore a simple a blue button-up blouse, gray knee-high khakis and her favorite white-black colored sneakers. It was a simple getup, but she still wanted to look her best. She combed her black tresses in slow but rhythmic strokes that only made the mass of it flow with unhindered elegance. After a few more minutes of contemplation, she then applied a bit of blush powder on her cheeks to have them give off an attractive reddish glow. She met her lips with strawberry flavored lip gloss and smiled ruefully in front of her reflection.

_Not too prettied up, not too homely, just the right look. This would do._

Onto her journey down the flight of stairs, she was greeted by an amusing sight of Ritsu playing with their house cat—which her mom adopted when she moved to the dorm—Miocchi. It was a sharp-looking feline whose fur were separated by three different colors, black being the most dominant of the three. It usually didn't play with strangers, but she was entirely fine jumping up and about around the drummer.

"Good girl…lemme give you a hug, you cute little thing~!" As if to reply to the girl's affectionate gesture, the cat licked her neck. Never mind that it was named after her, the whole scene just felt a bit…off. That, or she was having another jealousy fit. She couldn't tell.

"Lucky cat…"

…_did I just say that out loud?_

"Oh, hey Mio. You done? Your cat's so cute!"

She did.

"…I'm sure…" An apathetic tone.

"Aren't you close with it?"

As a matter of fact, they were.

…until the whole neck-licking thing.

Mio wished she could say that. Avoiding the topic altogether was a sound choice for her at the moment. "So where are we going today?"

Her masterful diversion worked quite well, as Ritsu began rambling about wanting a new drum set, and that her opinion would be useful. She also suggested that they save the cake she made for later, as it would be a bit too early for them to be indulging in. She had to agree. That, and the idea of seeing her eat the fruits of her sincere (read: passionate) efforts gave her a mixture of extreme accomplishment and embarrassment. Her heart could only take so much.

"It was the first time I saw her lose her temper, she was always so cool-headed I didn't even think she was capable of anger! Then there was this…"

Off the top of her head, she could only name at least two adjectives to describe how she felt over her best friend's shift in appearance; endearing and the ever repetitive cute. Not that her headband-ridden self wasn't charming and pretty, mind you, it was just that the distinction between the former and the latter made her ultimately divided for some reason. Long story short, she still can't get used to it.

"…Mugi said she liked sneaking out to stroll around the campus with Megumi-san! Staying in one room with me might have rubbed off on her…and Megumi-san has her own brand of mischief, I guess!"

Nostalgia hit her when she realized that they were now headed to 10GIA Music store, the same shop where Ritsu bargained for the Yamaha Hipgig set she wanted way back in Middle School (the store was also owned by Tsumugi's family, amusingly). She laughed at the memory of the energetic girl forcefully making the clerk lower the kit's price until she was satisfied. That was six years ago, and now she was walking with the same person, hoping to find a new one.

Of course, their trip there was an animated one as the drummer chatted away about her infamous hijinks from the dormitory, her work, and the University—things Mio didn't really listen to because she was distracted by the girl's mere presence.

"…and…Mio? Are you okay?"

Her voice of concern snapped the bassist out of her trance. "E-eh? Yeah, I'm okay…"

"Ack, sorry, I've been talking about myself all this time!" Ritsu carelessly ruffled her hair in her sloppy bungle, turning it into striking mess—in the taller girl's eyes, anyway. "So how about you? What have you been doing, Mio?"

Still in the gleam of inattentiveness, the feeling of pressure came pretty late. But once it did, her mind went into panic. Ocher irises gazed at her intently, making her awfully self-conscious and unprepared. She couldn't possibly tell her friend that her mind only swam on a singular subject, could she?

Especially if that particular subject was none other than her.

"Uh…well…you know…literature stuff! You don't really want to hear it since it's all…boring."

The brunette made a face. "What? I could never be bored when you're talking. Either it be about your silly fantasies, or your lecturing. Everything's expressive and very Mio-ish! …even if half of it makes me want to scratch my back."

It wasn't the first time she was at odds over feeling two emotions at once, but she could never get used to it. Ritsu was a master of making her feel this way, and she hated it. She wanted to punch and hug her at the same time.

In the end though, Mio ended up talking more than she planned to. It was so easy to talk about everything and nothing when it was with her, she found so much comfort in the thoughtful blaze her eyes expressed as she narrated about their professor in Philosophy who would always snort after a sentence or two, or how the cafeteria would always offer the same fruit juice every week. It made her terrifically at ease.

"Oh, we're here."

It was commonly said that a journey becomes faster and enjoyable with company, and it proved itself quite efficiently as both girls found themselves already at their first destination of the day.

"It changed from when we last saw it…"

"Yeah…it's bigger too…"

They entered the establishment wordlessly; still dumbfounded by the transition it went through over the past months.

"Say, how much is your budget for this?" Mio questioned as she waltzed through an isle of CDs.

"About 150000 yen. I've been saving up since our third year in High School, and with the addition of my pay from work, I think I can treat myself with this amount. A good set would really help the band too, you know? Not that my old one was bad…" Ritsu mumbled nonchalantly, her hand gestures helping her make a point (she thinks).

"How much did you pay for your old one again?"

"Since it was a used set, I paid 45000. And that was negotiated for too."

"Yeah…I remember that clerk cry in a corner afterwards…"

"Hey, a middle schooler shouldn't even be paying anything higher than 50000! That's overkill!"

_I'm suddenly reminded of Yui and her guitar…_

After a bit of discussion over how it would be really helpful if they had Tsumugi with them, the caramel haired drummer ended up walking around the store with a painful bump on the head. It was something about taking advantage of the blonde's kindness and how it was just a wishful joke—didn't seem to work well with the ebony haired lass though. Ouch.

…

Wandering back and forth from one drum to another, Mio and Ritsu began heavily arguing about what would be the ideal kit. It took them an approximate of two hours just deciding.

"We're down to two options, Ritsu. The Ludwig Accent, and the Yamaha Rydeen…take your pick."

She thought long and hard, internally comparing the pros and cons of the drum sets before her. The Rydeen was a brilliant shade of blue that reminded her of companion's eyes, while the Ludwig shared the same hue with her jet black hair. Coincidence or not, she couldn't help but giggle to herself—it was as if she was being made to choose between what she preferred more, the eyes or the hair.

"Okay. I pick the Rydeen." A decisive smile was plastered on her childish face.

"You're sure about this?"

"Yep."

Once she was set on something, it was hard to faze her off. That was what Mio knew best about Ritsu. So as they went on to the counter to place their transaction, she just smiled contently at the thrill on her friend's face. The short haired girl handed over 87000 yen as payment (which she bargained for _again_), leaving a reasonable amount left in her possession. Soon after, the clerk informed them of the kit's estimated shipping time—two days maximum—and inquired where it would be delivered. Since their studio was the best bet, they opted to have it delivered directly there.

Signing a few papers here and there, they set out of the store with a look of liberation.

"Ahh, all that work made me really hungry! Know a good place, Mio?"

She knew she was flushed NOT from hunger. "…eh? Um, no, not really. I'll go wherever you decide."

"Oh okay, I think I know just the place!"

Without much warning, Ritsu grabbed her hand and ran.

"H-hey, you don't have to drag me like this!" Mio spoke after matching with the former's pace. Thank the heavens for her above average athleticism.

"It's a lot more fun this way! And I like holding your big hands!" She lightly teased, not looking back at her.

Which she thanked for, because she couldn't help the blush from gushing all over her face…she was supposed to be angry!

"Idiot…"

.../../../...

Mio wanted to punch the nearest wall.

She knew her attitude was going way overboard, but she could not help but be desperately unsettled.

"…so we're thinking of setting up a party a day before class starts, what'd you say?"

"You really don't have to…the thought is generous enough, you know? 'Sides, didn't you say you were attending a mixer that day?"

After eating lunch, Ritsu declared that they should go to a karaoke and belt out their vocal chords—all the while complimenting her long haired companion about her voice. It was at that euphoric moment that the drummer's class mates suddenly decided to appear and ruin their quality time together…or at least, that was what her clouded mind thought.

"That's the point! We're meeting men _and_ celebrating your birthday. Two birds with one stone."

_No, definitely no. Ritsu should definitely NOT go._

"Ehe…er, I'm not really…"

"C'mon, it'll be fun! A friend of mine, who's coming to the mixer as well, says that his friend was eager to meet you!"

Just when she thought she got rid of most of her bad traits, her inexorable possessiveness acts up and slaps her in the face.

"But that's on a Monday…we…we have band practice the day after…" She reminded, not quite sure why she did. Her voice was low and unsure, almost as if she never meant to say it out loud.

_Don't go…_

As a result, attention fell on her. Ritsu's expression was unreadable, and her class mates eyed her inquisitively.

She cursed herself at that selfish assertion. She was meddling too much.

_I have to think of a way to defuse this! I have to tell them that it doesn't matter! I have to—_

"Well, there you have it. I'm pretty booked. I really appreciate the thought, but let's have it next time."

One of them grunted in obvious disappointment. "Must be nice to be busy…"

"Yeah, all we ever do lately is look for guys we could date…" A shoulder-length haired woman quipped in, pouting all the while.

"That's just you, Inori."

"Then why are you with me in my mixer adventures, Matsuri-chin?"

"I'm bored…"

"That's the same thing, idiot…"

Matsuri shrugged and faced the highly amused Ritsu. "I guess we'll be on our way then, Happy Birthday again."

"Yeah. And try making your schedule a lot more flexible for mixers. We really lack on pretty girls to lure the hot ones!" Inori added, her voice jokingly agitated.

"Flattery doesn't cut it, Ino-kun," She said dismissively. "I'll try though. No promises." There was a playful smirk on her face.

"Oh well, Happy Birthday. See ya at school!"

"Thanks, see ya!"

Both women took a careful bow towards Mio, stated their gratifications of meeting her before completely running off. They were actually interesting people—if she went past the issue of them easily stealing Ritsu's attention. Moreover, what was that talk about mixers and men? They were aspiring musicians! Things like that would just derail them from their goal. And to be clear, she was not against the prospect of meeting new people and interacting with men. She has a ton load of them in her class and practically everywhere—with some of them even showing romantic interest—to still be deluded by her childish high school belief of them being animals. They're not, and that was mean of her to say even if it was only an excuse to prevent a friend from getting close to one. She has long since forgone the needless shyness of intermingling with people, that wasn't the problem. What _was_ however, was the time for such things. Sure, Ritsu became an exponentially remarkable student from her lazy self in the past, but that alone won't make her schedule suddenly supple. Some people sure have it easy, she thought dryly.

…_so wait, this isn't about the band, it's just about her! UGH._

It was amazing how she can make it seem like she was thinking about the band (_I AM thinking about the band!)_, only to end up fussing over one girl. She was terrible. Falling in love was terrible.

"Ahh, thanks Mio. I wouldn't have been able to refuse them if you didn't speak up."

"D-don't get me wrong, I just don't want to have a sloppy practice session when the time comes. We only have it once a week." She reflexively reasoned.

"Aww~ Mio-shan ish sho honest~." Ritsu teased, affectionately poking her cheeks.

She flinched at the word. _Was that sarcasm or she's just that stupid?_

…_not like I wanted her to know…_

"Shut up…"

"But well, you're right. We have to work hard if we want a Budokan live, don't we?"

"…yeah. Though I'm not saying things like that can't be tended to…" _Now look who's contradicting herself. _"It's just that it has to be done in moderation. I don't want to play with a hung-over drummer."

"…you say that like I've went to practice drunk…"

"Well, not _yet_. But with the rate you've been going…"

"Wait, wait, wait, where are you even pulling this out from? I've never drank alcohol!"

"…you haven't?"

"No! Those things stink! Why would I even—

"B-but, you've been to those mixers…"

"And I refused their offers for those kind of drinks. I actually just sit down and laugh with people when I'm at one."

…_what has Mugi been implanting on me…_

"Come to think of it, have you been in one? You seem to know a lot."

Well, she had a very vivid idea of what was done in mixers, if that counts.

"No…"

"Yeah, you never struck me as the type to be interested in those…" She placed an index finger under her chin with a thoughtful look.

"O-of course not." _Not because of the reason you're thinking of though…_

"Then that must mean you already have someone in mind?"

_Then again, maybe not. _"Wh-what's with this all of a sudden?"

"Well, I kind of figured you have to at least have a crush on someone to able to write something like _Pure Pure Heart_. C'mon~ tell your spiritual home the details~."

"Who's a spiritual home? !"

Fresh from a painful lump, Ritsu sprang up again with vigor. "I won't tease you about it, I promise."

Sometimes Mio wondered if her friend actually enjoyed getting hit. She would constantly act annoying enough to warrant violence inflicted upon her like it was some kind of hobby! …well at least when it was her. She hasn't really seen her act this way with other people (or at least she didn't want to see).

"Ow, ow…so merciless, hitting a soldier when she's down…"

"What are you on about?"

"I knew it was you two." Someone's voice suddenly spoke.

When they shifted their attentions to the source, they were greeted by a familiar pair of red glasses. "Nodoka!"

"It's been a while. You two haven't changed much, I see." She giggled softly, recalling their effective manzai combination.

"You've got longer hair! And you've grown taller too!" Mio gushed excitedly.

"You still have this Student Council President aura, you have been missed, captain!" Ritsu added humorously.

"Thanks. I've missed you guys as well. But I saw you on TV last week, you looked really cool."

"W-we were?"

"Are you serious? !"

"Yeah, the Indie Rock Concert in Chiba? It was in the news."

"No one told me about that!"

"…I was seen on television…?"

"In any case, I guess you're really going all the way, huh. I'm still a little surprised Yui is involved in all this…"

"Heh, she's been growing up, surprisingly!"

"Should you really be saying that, Ritsu?"

"What, it's my birthday today!"

"That doesn't necessarily mean you 'grew'. And I'm not only talking about age." Mio sneered.

"You're so mean, Mio-chan!" Ritsu became all teary-eyed and clung onto Nodoka. "Nodoka, look at what became of this young woman. Such a tragedy!"

"I learn from the best, after all." She stated derisively, pinching the shorter girl's cheeks in retaliation.

The chestnut-color haired girl chuckled quietly, making the other two laugh along with her.

"Say, wanna go to the karaoke with us?" The drummer asked with a wide a grin.

"Oh, if you're fine with having me."

"No problem! The more the merrier, right, Mio?"

"Oh…yeah…" _I thought we'd be alone…wait, WHAT AM I EVEN THINKING? !_

"Awright, let's go!"

…

Their karaoke session went off with a bang, with Ritsu starting off with a song from Porno Graffiti in hopes to fire up her rather reserved companions. It worked, because soon after, songs have been piling up from the list, waiting to be played. Nodoka tried a hand at singing _Tomodachi_ by Sakamoto Maaya while Mio went for a rather challenging number with _How Crazy_ by YUI. They went on singing to their heart's content for two hours nonstop, with the raven haired girl singing the most. Somehow, it really helped her lift whatever was bothering her before. It felt very refreshing…next to the tea they ordered.

_**Yokaze ga hakobu awai kibou wo nosete, doko made yukeru ka? !**_

A few more songs were sung before one of the girl's phones rang. It turned out that their bespectacled friend had a boyfriend who came to visit. Pretty shocking (Who would have thought Nodoka of all people had a boyfriend? Every day was a surprise.), but both girls congratulated her nonetheless.

She gracefully bid farewell and expressed her pleasure of hanging out before excusing herself out of the booth, her face astonishingly red the whole time. It was a sight to remember.

"A boyfriend, huh…" Ritsu murmured thoughtfully.

Mio tried her best not to sound disapproving. "…you have someone in mind?"

"Oh, I was thinking how you never got one."

"Why does it always have to be me? …and if you remember, we attended an all-girl's school throughout high school."

"That doesn't really stop you from finding one…unless you have this crazy high standard." She paused and crossed her arms in contemplation. "…yeah, that seems a lot like you."

"And just what is wrong with that?" The karaoke song began to fade as she spoke.

"I didn't say it was wrong."

"Then where are you going with this?"

"C'mon, you're really pretty. Of course it's a bit shocking that you never got with one."

"Th…the same could be said for you! You could easily get one yourself!"

"…until I'm 40, remember?"

"Be serious."

"I am."

"…and you're not interested in someone?"

"Doesn't really matter if I do or not." Ritsu mumbled almost solemnly.

Mio was about to say something when the little speaker near the door indicated their third hour mark of usage for the karaoke booth by ringing obnoxiously.

"Well, we've been here for quite a while, let's get going?"

"Oh…sure…"

Once out of the building, they began discussing about what they should do next. The sky was painted orange as the sun set, but people still bustled around them. It was strange for a Sunday, as she knew that day meant a time for family—though she's not really one to talk, as she was hanging out with her best friend. But the difference was she had this planned prior, so it wasn't as strange. Maybe that's just her though, she wasn't exactly the kind of person who was always in the know when it came to things like this, contrary to what others may believe.

Anyway, she was supposed to think about what they should do, and she was not exactly doing her part of the deal.

After a while of deliberation, she ended up suggesting that they should just head back to Mio's place and eat the cake she made. She may not have shown it earlier, but she was really thrilled to know how it tasted. Her friend was an exceptional pastry-cook, especially when it came to chocolates.

_No wonder she's always worrying about her weight…_

"What was that? !"

Ritsu laughed heartily. "You're a mind reader now, Mio?"

"You said it out loud!"

The next thing she knew, her head hurt.

…

On their way back home, they passed through a familiar playground by chance. It hasn't changed much from the looks of it, but the girls couldn't help but feel a bit wistful at the scene. The swings were still there, the sandbox that they used to play in, the slide which Mio once thought was as high as a skyscraper—everything was still intact, and it held so many fond memories for her—for them.

"Ahh, this takes me back," Ritsu murmured, walking up to one of the swings. "It's still chaotic…in a good way."

"Yeah…feels like we never really grew." She followed her example and briskly trotted her way in the loamy patch of land.

"And we're still together. It's kind of a miracle…"

"You could say that again. You were such a bully that it never even crossed my mind that you'd end being the closest…to me…"

"I'm full of surprises like that. You love me for it, right?" She playfully winked.

Mio smiled lopsidedly before giving a retort. "…yeah, I love you so much."

…

…

…

…so much for retort.

_WH-WHAT DID I JUST SAY? !_

Slightly halted for a few good seconds, Ritsu recovered a comeback.

"Th-that's right…wh-who's awesome? !" Not exactly an effective one, regrettably.

The long haired lass wasn't paying attention anymore, thankfully—okay, maybe not. She was crouching at a corner near the sandbox, seemingly bothered as she hugged her knees closer.

_What have I done? I never meant to say it! What's wrong with me? ! What will Ritsu think of me now? …she'll hate me, I'm disgusting…our friendship's over…I'm so stupid…_

"Mio…?" Her hesitant and perplexed voice ran a chord through her heart.

She hid her face by burying it against her knees.

"Go away…"

"No…"

"Leave me alone…"

"I'm not leaving you here."

Mio peeked from the open spaces of her arm and could see the brunette's feet from quite a distance, it just stood there, as if waiting for her to say something. She bit her lip in apprehension, at odds over wanting to tell the truth or lying her way out of it. The possible outcomes that flashed through her mind seeped of cynicism, she felt her eyes water on their own.

Tightening her hold on herself, she held back the tears. Just what was she supposed to do? She felt so cornered all of a sudden.

Just then, a vivid conversation jogged her memory.

"_Hey, Mugi, what do you think is more…viable? Confessing to the person you love, or keeping it to yourself until…well, forever?" It was one of the rare moments where it was just the two of them left in the studio, so Mio grabbed the opening of such opportunity._

"_Well, there are two options, but there's only one you should really choose, Mio-chan." Said the golden haired lady as she calmly took a sip of her tea. "…of course, not everyone agrees with it."_

"…_what do you mean?"_

"_Say if I were in love with you—of course this is just an example—I would choose to tell you how I really feel."_

_Mio guffawed clumsily, Mugi was surprisingly blunt._

"_W…why? What if I rejected you? Wouldn't that make the choice wrong?"_

"_Why would it, Mio-chan?"_

"_Wh-why, you ask…well, you would get hurt and…"_

"_Mio-chan."_

"_Y-yeah?"_

"_What is love for you?"_

"…_a strange but magical attraction between two individuals. It's wonderfully inspirational, uplifting—it makes you all giddy and tingly…um, you get the idea."_

"_I see." She smiled genially._

_It confused her. "Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?"_

"_You asked me if I made the wrong choice of confessing."_

"…_but what has that anything to do with how I view…"_

"_You said I would get hurt if I end up being rejected after working up the courage to be honest with myself."_

_The direction of their chat bewildered Mio greatly, what was her friend getting at?_

"_Who wouldn't get hurt if the person you loved didn't love you back…?"_

"_Yes, exactly."_

"_Huh…?"_

"_I think…in love…pain has to be endured, sacrifices has to be made, and trust to be commended. It's never just happy and wonderful, but it eventually gets there with the right approach."_

_The raven haired lass stared at her, slightly dumbfounded. _

"_It's better done than never at all, right?" _

"…hey, Mio…?" Ritsu finally spoke up, careful not to startle her black haired friend.

_Better done than never…?_

_She's not like me. Ritsu's bound to find people that will like her, and she'd like back. _

_I can't always be fuming jealous over it. _

_Do I want to change that?_

_If I told her how I felt, would things change? _

_Would our friendship stay the same if she didn't like me back? _

_Is there even a remote possibility of her liking me?_

_What would happen to me if she didn't? _

_I don't want to lose her._

_But I don't want to give up my feelings either._

Her thoughts were all over the place, one thought overtaking the other in a hazy but fast pace.

_I'm so confused…_

Fear and uncertainty significantly prevented on deciding a resolute verdict. The consequences scared her tremendously. She had to do something to calm the brewing storm on their relationship, but there wasn't a way that guaranteed her anything remotely good.

"_Even a little courage could take you heights. It's all in us, no matter how fleeting it seems—it's only a matter of having the strength to embrace or let it go." _

Tsumugi's words replayed itself in her head, almost like a mysterious melody she couldn't stop.

_Courage? _

_Strength?_

Mio thought long and hard, trying to understand what her friend meant with those words—hoping it would at least give her an answer, a solution—_anything, _to work things out.

What defined strength? What made courage possible? Weren't those words interchangeable? Was she wrong in thinking they were the same? Will understanding this really help her? So many questions, but very little hints. She felt totally idiotic and helpless at the thought.

"Lycopene…?"

Her train of thought broke without a minute's hesitation. If she could liken anything to a catastrophe, nothing would top this absolutely random moment. She had to hold her sudden surge of laughter that threatened to come out.

"We look up at the same sky every day, but that doesn't automatically mean we see the same thing. For all I know, you might be seeing a rabbit cloud, and all those fluffy stuff you think of."

Even if she couldn't see Ritsu's face at the moment, she can flamboyantly imagine her face sporting a lighthearted grin. What was she saying all of a sudden anyway?

"Though we see differently, I don't think really it stops us from being friends. Even if you became a barnacle right now I know I'll still be friends with you, Mio."

…_barnacle? _"…even after what I said?" She looked up at her this time. It took a lot of willpower to accomplish just that.

"What do you mean? I love you so much too!" The drummer insisted.

Mio lowered her head her head as she grimaced. She didn't mean it romantically, why was her head screaming in joy?

"…you don't get it…"

"Huh?"

"You don't get it! I love you! I love you like a husband loves his wife! I get so jealous just seeing people near you! It's annoying, but I can't help myself! I want to kiss you, I want to hug you…I love you so much that it hurts! And I hate feeling this way! It's wrong, we're both girls and yet…and yet…"

Words suddenly failed her; she didn't expect such an explosive outburst. It lifted a weight and returned much heavier. The soil beneath her dampened as her vision blurred from the tears that formed and fell.

"…and yet…I'm sorry…I'm really sorry, Ritsu…"

Wishing that she would just disappear then and there, Mio hugged her knees tightly. She didn't dare look up again, the thought of seeing her friend's disgusted face scared her more than death itself.

_It's over…Ritsu hates me now…_

In what seemed like forever, soft footsteps suddenly invaded her ears. All this time, she never heard a single word from the brunette, so perhaps leaving without saying anything was her way of expressing what she thought…only the footsteps became louder, closer.

"…thanks, Mio. For giving me the courage I need."

_No, I don't want to hear it!_

"I guess you really are stronger than me."

_It's better to just leave…what?_

With such an unexpected reaction, Mio was led to look up and see what the joke was, but only saw Ritsu crouched just before her, a tender smile spread across her face all the while.

"I love you too, you big dummy."

…

…

...

Wait.

Just freaking wait.

Was she hallucinating? Did the depression get to her so much that she was fantasizing a better outcome to this tragedy? It felt so surreal.

"…Mio?"

Her knees felt numb, she couldn't possibly assume this as a dream now, could she? But she's joking right? It's all too convenient.

"Hey, do you by any chance, not believe me? Your face right now says a lot." Ritsu said narrowing her eyes.

Mio felt panic within her. "B-b-but, it can't be, right? ! Too good to be true! You can't possibly be—

"That's my line. I never even imagined that it'd turn out this way…not that I'm not happy about it…I mean, you're not joking, right? What you said…you really meant it, right?"

"O-of course I meant it! Why would I even joke about something like this?"

Unable to contain her bliss any longer, she pounced on the unaware bassist. "Mio~!"

"…i-idiot! What are you doing? ! You'll get us dirty!"

"I don't care. I'm just so happy right now."

A smile crept up to her face. "…idiot…"

"You said that twice now."

Quiet giggles resonated within the rather deserted playground as the sun completely set. They stayed in their position for quite some time, laughing occasionally whilst savoring the comforting warmth of each other. In what people would see as a sheepish grin, Mio considered her most satisfied smile all her life. She wrapped her hands around the smaller girl lovingly, closing her eyes without a care for her dirtied up clothes or the situation they're in. If Ritsu was happy, she was happier. She couldn't describe it with words, but she felt stronger, she felt fearless. All that worrying prolonged things for them, but it gave her a better understanding of what Mugi said back then.

"…Ritsu," She whispered as they both stood up and dusted themselves off the dirt their clothes had.

"Mm?"

"…can I…kiss you?"

The buff eyed lass reddened severely. "…sorry?"

"D…don't…make me repeat myself…"

"F-fine…I was just caught off guard…to think that you'd actually initiate—

"N-not the point!" The long haired girl blurted out, their skin color matching. "…yes or no?"

"You…you have to ask? ! I'd say yes in a heartbeat? !"

"…such an unsure tone…"

After several minutes of awkward staring, both girls shyly got closer. One tiptoed while the other bent lower, eyes closing as they inched further, closing the gap.

A certain blonde's voice echoed in Mio's ear one last time.

"_Better done than never at all, right?"_

She mentally nodded. _Yeah, Mugi. Thanks…_

Even marshmallows never felt so soft—her last thought before losing herself to the pleasure.

.../../../...

Time flew fast—at least, that's what the ebony haired woman thought as she wrote on her notebook. It was already November, and Finals were but a month away. For Literature majors such as herself, the thought led only dread. What's more, they had a big live event late December, something she felt nervous and excited over. Apparently, a scout took an interest on their band and gave a shot at sponsoring them under the music company Pomy Kanyon, with Sawako acting as their manager. Two months after, Ho-kago Tea Time gained a very decent amount of recognition; their debut release sold like hotcakes for the first week and went on a steady haul thereafter. It happened so fast, the gang never really had the chance to give it a second thought. All they knew was that they had fun—and with the capable hands of their former teacher, they were reaching places they never thought they'd reach in such a short time. Funnily though, she never got the boyfriend she wanted.

"Mio-chan, what are you giggling about?" Her roommate asked, attempting a good impression of diligent musician as she tried actually reading music notes from the new song Tsumugi composed.

"Oh…heh, nothing really."

"Thinking about Ricchan?"

"How did it come to that, Yui…"

"I was just asking…it's the truth then?"

"No."

"Don't be so shy~."

"I'm telling you, I wasn't!"

On the romantic front, she contentedly stuck with Ritsu. And it wasn't such a secret like she thought it would be at first. The drummer herself was shocked at this. Their friends apparently 'knew it all along' and went on expressing their encouragements once they conceded the information. Supported by such understanding friends was very reassuring…even if Yui teased relentlessly about it from time to time. Tsumugi was another case though; she went as far as offering a trip to Netherlands to officially legalize this wonderful union of kindred spirits—as she so puts it.

To the rest of the world however, their relationship was a secret. They both agreed to keep it like that until they were ready.

So as a downside, they were still approached by men (and women), which often made her blood boil. Not so much about her getting attention but her girlfriend getting it. She really needed a jealousy therapy one of these days.

"Mio-chan, Mio-chan, a visitor." Yui informed, a hint of teasing evident in her voice.

She had a reason to, it seems. A girl with shoulder length hair entered, waving cheerily. "Yo~."

"Yo, Ricchan! What is the agenda for today?"

"I have come to abduct this long haired beauty for the rest of the evening, captain Yui!"

"Ou, then you have my permission! You two are dismissed!"

"…what is with this talk…"

"No, Mio! You're supposed to act like a damsel in distress!"

"…after being 'permitted' by _captain Yui_?"

"Uh…"

"She got you there, Ricchan."

"It won't end here! I will come back stronger, be ready for it!" She exaggeratedly pointed an index finger at Mio to prove her point.

"Yeah, yeah, where are you taking me, great abductor?" The girl deadpanned as she dragged her girlfriend out the door. "See you later, Yui."

"Later, Yui!" She heard Ritsu say before the door completely closed on her.

…

"Celebrate? Celebrate what?" Mio asked as she followed the shorter girl.

"I just thought of this, but it's the 21st today. Three months since we've been together! Doesn't that warrant some kind of celebration?" Ritsu reasoned, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

"I…I guess so…but where are we going?" She still wasn't good at keeping the blood from rushing to her face, sadly.

"Dorm's rooftop!"

"…why there?"

"There's a really awesome looking garden in there, thanks to the landlady's green thumb. The view's nice too!"

"I didn't even know there was a garden in the rooftop…"

"You should really get out of your room more often, Mio-shan."

"S-shut up…"

Now that she thought about it, their dormitory _was_ big. She wondered why she never noticed it before.

"Oh, Ricchan and Mio-san! Hey there!" A girl their age, with wavy brown locks called out to them.

"Yo Ukyo-chan! How's it going?"

"Hey."

"Perfect timing, you two! We need two more girls for the mixer tomorrow…"

"…ah, I have plans that day." Ritsu excused, looking apologetic.

"Same for me." Mio mimicked, though not looking as diffident.

"Aww, I see. Thanks anyway!"

They watched her retreating back in amusement as their hands suddenly searched for each other.

"Plans, huh? Sleeping all day sounds like a plan indeed."

"Hey, I will study too, you know!"

"Really now…"

Bickering all the way to the top, they almost missed the faint glimmer several fireflies emitted near the flowerbed.

"Whoa, that's so cool! Fireflies!"

"Idiot, you'll scare them away!"

Just as she said, the little lights disappeared one by one. Shame, really. She wanted to see them for herself. Anyway, Ritsu wasn't lying when she said that the garden looked awesome, and more. She couldn't help but be in awe as she walked along the rows of flowerbeds that ranged from flower to flower. How did the landlady even produce these rarities? She was no florist, but she knew baseball plants were one of the endangered plants that originally originated from South Africa. Just how did she manage to keep this here?

"Mio! Mio! Look, lilies! I didn't see this the last time I came here!" The drummer pointed excitedly.

"What are you, in grade school? It's like you've never been in botanical gardens before…" She remarked, pint-eyed as she spoke.

"There's a balcony with a telescope over there! Let's go there, Mio!"

Like an excited child, she pulled the bassist towards said balcony, where a fine view of the city below can be seen.

"Wow…"

"Nice, huh?"

"Yeah…"

Ritsu smiled pensively as she rested her chin on her palm. "…back then, I used to come here."

The taller girl faced her, a questioning look graced her features. "Back then?"

"…when I thought my love was painfully one-sided. Haha."

"Ritsu…"

"It's funny though, this was the same place I vowed to myself that I'll never say anything…that I'll keep my feelings to the grave, so that I can keep the friendship—but now you're here with me, like some crazy dream…it's unbelievable somehow, but I'm really happy."

At a loss for words, Mio just squeezed her hand and gave off a comforting smile. It was weird that she actually wanted to hear how Ritsu began to love her at the back of her mind, but that would have to wait.

"The mixers I went to just to get my mind off it were staggering! Didn't enjoy them too much though."

"Hmph. Then you better not go to those needless mixers from now on…"

"Aww. Ish Mio-shan jealous now?"

The bigger question was, why wouldn't she be? Now was different from when was still just brooding over what the hell she was feeling. They were a couple now. She went through all that trouble channeling the right amount of audacity just to confess her feelings to the cheeky midget, what was there to actually lose from owning up that she indeed was jealous? The teasing was weak, so weak that she felt the need to reverse the situation. She was an alpha female after all.

"You bet I am! It's only natural I would be, in fact." Despite saying this with an intensively straight face, her color betrayed her as all Ritsu could see was a tomato.

"It's not like anyone would take notice of me in those things, you worry too much idiot." She was still on the ball, thankfully.

"Lies. Even some of the women around campus pass looks at you."

The caramel haired girl couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded. "Is that something you normally notice? "

"Well, ever since I came to realize…I've, I've always been looking at you…"

It was now her turn to light up in red hue. What was with Mio today suddenly being so embarrassingly bold…?

"S-so…don't deny me of my…right. You are my girlfriend after all."

This…this was just unbelievable! Even she couldn't help but stammer at the taller girl's mind-boggling guts to voice out such things. Did she eat something funny today?

"S-stupid. Don't say such embarrassing stuff with that serious face…"

With that kind of reaction, one would think Akiyama Mio would be basking in the successful feat of making the ever-brazen friend—_girlfriend—_of her's into a faltering frenzy. But all it gave Mio now was the strong urge to be completely honest with her feelings. She might not have another chance to clam up the courage to do so in the future, otherwise. Maybe.

"Hey…once we graduate, let's live together."

"E-eh…? You're thinking way far ahead…"

Though, seeing the brunette thoroughly flushed was something she took pleasure on. Damn it, so cute.

"Why not? It's ordinarily the next step after—uh, actually, never mind." Close call there, she wasn't going to spout cheesy lines now.

"After…? After what, Mio?"

"Forget it. It's nothing important."

"What the heck?" There was a clumsy lopsided grin.

"Really." _Don't try to get it out of me._

There was an incommunicable pause after that. The greatly lit city down below seemed to have gotten slower for the two as the minute passed, none of them apparently trying to stir up a conversation. After a bit however, the silence didn't feel so eerie as Mio felt fingers intertwining with her own. Ritsu looked at her with those enthralling amber orbs of hers—a look of 'I want to know' written all over it. A definite ploy to have her talk—sneaky little rascal.

But damn it, was she adorable. She knew she would just lose it then and there…such a strange day.

"I…" She began. "I've always…imagined waking up in the morning greeted by you. I want to leave for work with you seeing me off, I want to sleep at night with you greeting me good night…we're together now, wouldn't moving in be next course of action?"

Just when she thought she was already recovering from all that sappy nonsense from earlier, here she was, attempting her best not to burst out and scream foul at how the raven haired girl has made her blush for the umpteenth time that day. "…just so you know, I will be working as well. Being a housewife is not my thing…" She tried her best at a reply.

"You cook like a chef."

"S-so could you."

"You can knit."

"You can too."

"…fine, we can see each other off as we both go to our respective jobs."

"Why are we even talking about this?" She was getting serious goosebumps at the direction of their conversation.

"Isn't it obvious? I'll marry you." She said simply.

It took several few seconds for a legit reaction.

"…Mio, what?"

"I'll marry you, Ritsu." Mio repeated determinedly.

What she lacked in words for a reaction, she made up for in action as she wordlessly gave her girlfriend a warm and heartfelt hug. Suddenly, nothing mattered. Not even her beet red face that blatantly showed itself. Mio, on the other hand blew a fuse inside her. She hoped she didn't sound outright ridiculous. She meant every word of it, uncharacteristic attitude notwithstanding. Who would have thought being this daring was perplexingly fulfilling?

"Since when were you so tall…" She heard the caramel haired lass murmur against her chest.

A victorious smirk spread across her face. "You're still bitter about this, huh?"

"I grew too."

"And I'm still taller."

Ritsu pulled away from the embrace and huffed. She was clearly sensitive about their little height issue. And she found it so cute.

"…remember what Yui said before?"

"Yui has said tons of stuff before."

"Something about being the right size for cuddling…"

"That was for Azusa, stupid."

"Now it's for you too, idiot."

"…I don't know if I should be happy about that."

"You should, you're going to be my energy charger everyday from now on."

"Just who are you and what have you done to my Mio?"

"Doesn't Akiyama Ritsu sound really _good?_"

"Wha-wha…!"

_She's cute, definitely. _

…

Meanwhile, a blob of yellow glinted unnoticed in a nearby corner, seemingly filming the whole thing.

.

.

.

_Omake._

"Whoa, that apron looks really good on you, Azusa!" Ritsu cooed.

"If you mean ludicrous then I agree." She deadpanned, readying the necessary ingredients for chocolate. It was nowhere near Valentine's Day, but since it was going to be Yui-sempai's birthday soon, the pigtailed girl just decided to make something that she would definitely love. Ritsu-sempai just happened to tag along for the ride—with the frilly red apron she suggested the junior should wear.

"Oh come on, it really does suit you!"

"…Where did you even get this?"

Her amber-eyed upperclassman shrunk to her seat, blushing all the while.

"F-from…Mio…"

"Oh…" Of course she knew her band mates had peculiar tastes—especially the bassist—but this was a rather…cringe-worthy surprise, especially when she had a vague idea of what it was for. "This isn't about dinner, bath or me, is it?"

"Oh god, how did you know? !"

Sometimes she hated being right.

"And hadaka apron?"

"…why do you know that as well…"

"…Mio-sempai sure knows how to get it rolling. The change still shocks me." She ended up saying.

"I hope I'm wrong, but I think Mugi's got a hand in it…"

"That's some combination…"

"Tell me about it…"

.

.

.

**End.**

**

* * *

**

…the gravity of all this coming to a close makes my eyes burn. I've let myself be so attached to them that I feel like I'll never be able to accept it all once it ends. K-On has come so far, so seeing it slowly drift away from me painfully feels like losing a really good friend. Good things come to an end, I know, but this feeling of melancholy just couldn't leave me. I'll get over it of course, just like the girls stood strong with reality slapping at their faces. For now though, I'll let myself bask in melancholy as I loop Ano Hi No Yume for the rest of the day.

**TL Note**: Hadaka apron means "Just as planned." I mean naked apron.

**Other notes**: (1) Freaking KyoAni messed my brain with their location mix-up, so I'm gonna assume they live in the Kanagawa Prefecture, with Kyoto-like scenery (cause they can't just show Kyoto, then suddenly go to a field trip there…freaking nuts—and don't get me started about Sakurakou, the whole concept of it was based on _another _Kyoto school, Toyosato Elementary…damn it). So let's suppose Mugi is around Tobe, Yui and Azusa in Hiranumabashi while Mio and Ritsu are in Tanmachi. This way, Sakurakou will conveniently be placed somewhere in Yokohama. Ryoo Dormitory on the other hand (yes, the name is from the school in Lucky Star XD), is in Nishiwaseda (their studio too, a walking distance), fairly close to JWU (still needs the subway train though). You probably won't notice it while reading, but imagine just how the heck Azusa is able to be with them at this distance…you can't right? So just imagine Mugi ordering her minions to have the kitty choppered every Tuesdays. And all is solved! *shot*

(2) JWU has their own dorm, but Mio and the others didn't pick that—_I_ didn't, I mean. XD Then there's the academic term which I'm sure is a semester (most Japanese universities are) but I didn't give a dime about that and went with a trimester (for plot purposes etc). 8D

(3) Youth Vibration is actually part of Mio's character songs for season 2 (released on the 21st of September, buy it!). XD Who would've thought Mio was the youngest among the core four?

(4) Slowpoke, I know, but did you notice that Ritsu has a floor tom in S2? I guess she did end up buying one. And the drums part was actually based on an event me and my friend done in the past. Yes, the same drum kits (and no, I'm not the drummer, she was XD).

(5) K-On! ! ended…;_; And I cried bitch tears, what the hell. Tenshi ni fureta yo really turned on the waterworks for me. Also, holy effing buckets, Yui just lost in Saimoe. Nodoka did too. K-On flagship has sunk, I don't think there's much chance for rest of the K-On girls left. Ugh. _As an aside, there'll be two extra episodes with the same airtime. Let's hope beyond hope that MENAREANIMALS chapter is in one of those!_

So then…

Thanks for reading this silly long-ass oneshot and forgive the OOC-ness all over the place. I did try making the change rather…uhh, believable? Either way, I had fun writing it. XD

Belated Happy Birthday, Ricchan! And darn you Rabu-nyan for making me love her too (joke, belated Happy Birthday as well~). XD …the love isn't as strong compared to my love for Mugi and Azu-nyan so you don't have to worry about additional competition. XD

I didn't intend this to be a full-blown Mitsu…I honestly just started thinking; "Ricchan dedication asgsdhddfgd!" but it somehow ended up being like this. And it isn't beta'd. ;_; A storm of retarded ideas in this betch.

Agh, blabbering again. Back to Touhou I go~. XD


End file.
